Scarlet Skies
by XxxJerza4everxxX
Summary: A story revolving around a stubborn princess and an ill-behaved wanderer. Add the Kings who are trying to overthrow each other, a bunch of other characters with interesting personalities, and a forthcoming invasion into the fray. Just how will the two of them work out? [Kingdom AU] Warning: Characters may appear OOC. OC's and other original content are present. Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Quests and Princesses

* * *

 _Morning, 5th of Bloomingdale Location: West of Ishgal, Kingdom of Fiore, Nelaeryn._

"You smell like a donkey's arse!" Jellal scrunched his nose in disgust while ruthlessly slashing a putrid creature with his silver bastard sword.

How he ended up in this situation, he could not remember. However, he did remember following a beautiful lady out of the tavern he was at. He recalled walking right behind her, the wind carrying off her scent which was heavenly, the subtle sway of her hips, the paleness of her dress contrasting the darkness of the night, and the color of her hair, it was a mixture of gold and brown, a unique color in this region. Though her face was obscured by some sort of mask, like every other person in the place. He wondered if there was an event in the tavern which he did not know of. She was beautiful, though her face was unseen, she still gave off an aura of utter beauty. Which was why he could not comprehend how everything boiled down to this predicament. Her previously golden hair that rivaled the sun suddenly turned into black, darker than the cave of the dwarves named Dorzad. The white dress she was wearing which seemed blemishless, was now filled with holes and tears, and dirtied by mud and ashes. Seeing her unmasked face was close to living his nightmares, so close that he wished she'd wear the mask again, she had ghoulish features, her skin was as pale as her dress, her eyes seemingly bloodshot though it was obvious she had no blood. Do not get him started on her _scent_ , _Oh goddess_ , she smells horrible, like a dying cattle, or rat, or cat, or anything _awful_. He wished that he had a spell which could nullify his scent of smell.

Pushing all these complaints at the back of his mind, he focused on the situation at hand. He was now battling with a vile creature named Thlimaika, at the middle of a cave, how they got there was foreign to him, he followed her into a room not some cave after all. She feasts on men of any ages, changes her façade according to the age of the men she tries to capture. If she wanted a young boy, she would become a young girl or would even impersonate a female related to the boy. If it were young men, she becomes a young lass, tempting and seducing them, until they followed her into their pending death. After leading them to her den she would transform herself into a living nightmare. She had a wraith like nature, she was holding a dagger with serrated edges. Based on the books he read recently, these daggers were tremendously poisonous, it was bathed in poison that one little cut could mean an instant death.

Jellal stopped his barrage of attack in order to catch his breath, she was undoubtedly fast. Whenever he swings his sword in order to deliver a lethal strike, the monster dissolves itself into thin air. He knows he damages it somehow but he is unsure if it's enough to kill it. He wiped his sweaty brow using the back of his leather gauntlet, and he lowered his stance a bit in order for him to easily move when needed. His gaze fell on the creature, and when it met his eyes it immediately rushed to him. Jellal had enough of this farce, he focused his magic to his sword. This activated the runes encrypted on it, the runes glowed bright blue. The Thlimaika swung the dagger to his direction wanting to slash his neck, but Jellal was hasty and leaned back then ducked in order to avoid it, after doing so he leaned forward and swung his sword which he was holding with both hands positioned on his left, to the direction of the Thlimaika. It shrieked in pain, he felt tremors underneath his feet. He met a slight resistance from the sword's blade to the Thlimaika's body, which is a good sign for him, for this means that he had successfully delivered a lethal cut. He continued pushing the blade with all of his energy until it sliced through the creature's body. The formerly floating Thlimaika was now reduced to a quivering monster on the rocky cave ground. Her body was cut in half, and the cut was oozing out black liquid, which Jellal assumed as the creature's blood.

He placed his silver sword on its sheath at his back. After sheathing his sword, he took a flask hidden in a small pouch slung on his waist, and opened it, then he knelt down in order to fill the flask with the creature's blood. He did not know of the purpose of this but it was seemingly required in order to complete the task written on the contract he found posted on the notice board. Once the flask was filled he stood up, closed it, then casted a spell on the flask in order for it not to break. He observed how the Thlimaika was holding the dagger and kept swaying it side by side in an attempt to slice his leather cladded foot. But, it had no more energy left in it.

He lifted his hand, palm facing in the direction of the creature.

" _Hyrr._ " He uttered, fire started flowing out of his palm to the Thlimaika. The moment the flames touched the flesh of the creature, it screamed in agony. Jellal didn't know why he still felt pity for the creature that wanted to slaughter him. He felt this way probably because even at their death they could not rest peacefully, they were not relieved of the agony they felt when they were still alive. He did not want that to happen to him, they probably did not want this to happen to them either.

Jellal wanted to help them, but he did not know how, only monks and priests could do so. That's what most of the people say at least. He perished these thoughts, for now. He still had a lot to do after all, the jewels he would get for this was not sufficient, he had to look for other contracts. The flames reduced the Thlimaika to ashes. Jellal closed his eyes, then he curled his finger to make a fist out of his hand and placed it on his chest. He later knelt down on one knee and bowed his head.

" _May thy soul reach the goddess of freedom and peace._ " He said earnestly. This was all he could do for them.

As Jellal's mentors told him, this phrase helped the lost souls cross over the realm of humans to the realm of the spirits, when articulated with sincerity. If the goddess of peace saw honesty behind those words she would help the lost soul and bestow peace on them forever. He stood up and dusted his trousers. When he was sure he was finished with his duties in the cave he started to look around, in attempt to leave the cave.

"By the gods, why is it so dark in here?" He wondered aloud, it was immensely he could not even see his hands.

" _Illum._ " He casted a spell that summons a small ball of light, which allows him to navigate his path clearly.

He continued walking aimlessly around the cave, until he concluded that he was walking in circles. Whichever path he took led him towards the place where he slayed the monster. Perhaps this was made in order to perish the attempts of escape the creature's prey will have. Jellal was prepared to lose hope until he felt the cave ground shake, little rocks fell from above him, and the image of the cave began to falter. Light was finally seeping through and at the moment he blinked, he was in the middle of nowhere. Trees were surrounding him, the rocky surface of the cave was replaced by the verdant grass of the forest. He recognizes the place, it was called Ainesilver. This forest was known for its enchanted aura, it was truly beautiful, the grass was greener and more vibrant than any other place, and the trees were captivating though they were old. The forest was previously populated by elves but they soon left the forest in order to build a town where everyone could be comfortable. The forest is currently a home for nymphs, fairies and ents. He raised his arm to block the light from his eyes, though he's grateful that he's out of the cave, all of the happenings perplexed him to an extent that he thinks he's losing his mind.

"Goddess! How long was I in there?" He questioned no one but himself.

As far as he can recall, he followed the haunted damsel at night, so it must've taken him a long time to realize that he was enchanted. There were no alleys, no tavern, no houses, and most especially no people. He was enchanted the moment he stepped foot inside the forest. Jellal navigated throughout the forest expertly, he's been here for a lot of times after all. He reached the main road after a while and decided to head to Nelaeryn. It was a town north of Ainesilver, inhabited by elves and fortunately, does not prohibit humans. He started walking towards the town, it was quite far away so he assumed that he would get there before nightfall. While walking he wished that Vearethel, a potion maker, was a generous person. Jellal needed all the jewels that he can get, renting a room in an inn at Crocus was expensive after all. He pondered if he would move to Magnolia instead, he heard a lot of good rumors about the place. While walking he heard a galloping of a horse followed by the sound of wooden wheels striding on the gravel. Looking at the source of the sound he saw a trader, his cart looked wore down, there was a bunch of holes on the roof which was made of cloth, and the walls of the cart had arrows sticking out from it. An act of the bandits for sure. The trader passed by him and when he was about 5 meters away from Jellal.

"Whoa!" he said with strong imposing voice while lightly kicking the sides of the horse, bringing all the movement to a halt.

"D'you need a lift lad?" The merchant said with thick Minstrelian accent. Leave it to the Minstrelians to be kind though suffering.

"Yes! Thank the gods! I'm headed north of here, a place called Nelaeryn." Jellal exclaimed excitedly.

Now that he had a good look at the trader, he noticed that his face was quite bruised. His forehead was clumsily wrapped with bandages, Jellal assumed that the trader did it himself. He also had a dark purple bruise surrounding his left eye, his upper lip had a cut, and all things considered he was battered. Without all of these he would look like an ordinary old man, his hair was all greyed, he was sporting a gruff look because of his greying full beard and he had few wrinkles on his forehead.

"Come along then, I am headed to Nelaeryn too. Repair my cart and get medical help, hopefully." The merchant said wistfully while Jellal went inside of the carriage.

The cart creaked with Jellal's weight, but it remained sturdy nonetheless. When Jellal was settled inside the cart, the merchant moved along. The horse's hoofs dug through the gravel and moved forward at a steady pace. Jellal took all his surroundings in, the cart had barely anything inside it, and it truly was ransacked. The cart had a crateful of cloth, scattered scraps of food, and a bunch of materials that he was certain costs nil. His observation was interrupted when the merchant cleared his throat, obviously wanting his attention.

"So, what brings a young man like you to this area? You don't look like a trader." The merchant inquired curiously.

"Oh, just here to accomplish a hunt." Jellal said as briefly as possible. The trader seemed content with his vague answer and left it as that.

The rest of the journey was silent, the merchant and Jellal only exchanged a few words, sharing some of their travelling experiences, and a little small talk. It was a peaceful trip. Jellal leaned on the wall of the cart, feeling the exhaustion taking over him. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

 _Morning, 5th of Bloomingdale Location: South of Ishgal, Kingdom of Minstrel, Magnolia, Palace of Kings._

"Let me in!" The scarlet haired princess roared furiously.

"Your Highness, I sincerely apologize but His Majesty has instructed me to not let anyone in, while the council is in progress." A knight guarding the royal office said cowardly.

"But I am not anyone, Sir Gildarts!" The princess barked with much disdain than her first statement. Making the knights wince as if in pain.

"Princess Erza, you have to understand that the King has instructed me to strictly prohibit anyone from interrupting the session. No one can enter while the council is ongoing." Gildarts was sweating profusely, everyone in the kingdom knows that angering the princess was close to asking the Reaper for death. If not because of his head gear that effectively shielded his face, the princess would see how his lips was quivering and how his eyes betrayed him of his emotions.

"Oh? Not even the Princess herself?" Erza said in a mocking tone. Sir Gildarts may be stubborn but Erza is much worse. Scoffing when Gildarts shook his head in disapproval.

The knight had his head held down, not meeting the intense glare the princess was giving him. The other knight beside him however did not speak at all, he cowered in the corner like a sheep confronted by a wolf. Their vice grip on their spears were starting to slack. Fighting a dragon would be better than reasoning out with Princess Erza.

"There you are Princess! I was looking all over the palace for you." The princess' lady-in-waiting said cautiously, not wanting to aggravate the princess' wrath.

The exclamation of the maid was unheard, and so did the knight's statement. The fiery haired princess still did not back down, she would never, especially when it involved a grave matter. No one, not even the King, the Prince, the Knight, or anyone, could decide how she wanted to live her life. Decisions are to be made by her, not anybody else. She was her own person, she had the right to do what she loves. She most especially had the right to choose the person she would marry. Which was why when her mischievous, infuriating, and useless brother decided to tell her about the marriage the King, her father, has arranged for her, she lost it. Erza never imagined her father could be so unfair to her. _No,_ she never imagined how life could be so unfair to her. She is expected to marry Prince Lates of Caellum, a kingdom on the west of Minstrel. The marriage was to take place in the month of Harbinger. Which was three months from today. The reason why Erza is against the marriage was because: First, she haven't met the said Prince; Second, even if they did meet she was sure she would not fall in love with him because he was known to have slept with half of the women in Ishgar, the rumors might have exaggerated it a bit, but nonetheless, being unfaithful to a lover is one of the little things Erza hates in a person; Lastly, the main reason why she did not want to marry was because she was still young, she's nineteen, marriage was the last thing on her mind. She could not even take care of herself how could she be expected to take good care of her husband and children, when she's just a child herself.

"Mira, tell these guards to make way for the Princess. Now." Erza ordered, not bothering with what Gildarts said.

"Your Highness, it might be best if we return to your chambers, the matter that you wanted to discuss can maybe wait for a while longer." Mira said slowly in a hushed voice, she looked at the princess and was startled when she saw her staring at her. When Erza did not say anything she continued.

"The council session has started moments ago, I'm sure His Majesty is sta-"

"The matter I wanted to discuss cannot wait. It is important. I do not care if my fath- "Erza caught herself and continued, "His Majesty, is in the middle of a damned council meeting, I need to speak to him!" Erza cut her off, mid-sentence. She knew all too well what Mira was supposed to say. She was going to calm her down and escort her back to her chambers and make her forget about questioning the King. Erza did not want that.

The longer she stood outside the door of her father's royal office, the more frustrated she became.

"If you would not let me in this instant, I swear to all the gods and goddesses, I will run around the palace screaming my lungs out." She saw the knights exchange strange looks, as if mocking her, wondering if she was bluffing or not. So, to make the threat real, she inhaled deeply, and this was enough for the guards to be alarmed. Gildarts reached for the handle of the door and swung it open for her.

The Royal Council Chamber of King Makarov was a place in the palace where even her and the Prince were not allowed to enter. They were only permitted to enter the chamber if the King requested it. The chamber was a small room which was sparsely decorated. The windows that extended from the ceiling to the floor gave light into the room, dark red drapes were hanging from either side of the windows. It had a fireplace, which made the chamber warm. On the middle of the room was where the round wooden table was placed. The sigil of the Kingdom was carved on the surface, there were a lot of carved dragons on the legs of it, and there were at least ten wooden chairs around it. King Makarov was seated at the head of it, on his right was Prince Laxus, and on his left was his advisor Warrod, Duke of Hargeon, a province in Minstrel. There were other people as well but she did not recognize who they were. Even if she did, she did not care.

At her sudden intrusion all eyes were fixed upon her. Some looked at her with scorn, others had fear etched all over their face. In general, most of them were confused and irritated at the sudden interruption. Erza did not quiver under their gazes, if anything she did not feel anything at all. It must've been the adrenaline coursing through her veins that she managed to move forward without tripping or shaking. She only stopped when she reached the edge of the table. Everybody was silent, only their labored breathing could be heard. Erza looked around the table, her father's expression was the most noticeable. He held a puzzled and fearful look on his face, with that she looked away trying to compose herself. When no one spoke Makarov stood up and looked at his daughter directly.

"Princess Erza, please explain yourself." Makarov said in a gentle tone. Most of the people looked like they wanted to leave the chambers immediately, not wanting to be involved in the crossfire of father and daughter that was about to happen. Laxus observed his father and his sister, he could tell that Erza was furious, it would be obvious for even the densest of people, and she looked like nothing can calm her. His father, however, did not betray any emotion, he was stoic but gentle at the same time. He only hoped that Erza would leave before anything uneventful would happen.

"Is something the matter?" Makarov inquired. He did not know the true intensions of his daughter. He only wished it was trivial, so that he could dismiss it straightaway.

"No." Erza said while glaring at her father and her hand curled into a fist on her sides.

"Then lea-."

"No! I will not marry Prince Lates!" Laxus was shocked, this was the first time King Makarov was cut off. He bit back his groan, for he knows he's the one who's going to get scolded later. He shouldn't have told Erza. "Shit." He whispered to himself as quiet as possible.

"This council session has ended, everybody leave." Makarov ordered, he did not want the others to hear what would transpire between the two of them.

"But, Your Majes-" A council member said disapprovingly only to be cut off by none other than Makarov himself.

"But nothing! Leave." Makarov snarled viciously, with that every human and non-human in the room tried their best not to run. This was not the first time they saw their king infuriated, but it still unnerves them to the extent of wanting to crumble down on the floor. When the chamber was cleared and the only people left were Prince Laxus, King Makarov, and Princess Erza.

Erza stared at her brother and gestured him to leave, but Laxus did not. He wanted to see how this would end. Erza then turned her attention back to her father, she saw how enraged he was, but she did not care for she was furious herself. She did not even care that she had her outburst in front of the council members, as of now shame was not her priority. Erza inhaled, but before she could try to speak, Makarov went first.

"The treaty has been made. I have said what must say, you are going to wed Prince Lates whether you're against it." The sense of finality was clear in his voice, but it was unheard by Erza.

"You have to understand Erza, we have to strengthen our alliance with the east. Caellum has the best cavalry in the east. We need that cavalry if we want to- . "

"Therefore, it is alright with you to sell your own daughter like livestock to Caellum. An offering? You know all too well who Prince Lates is and yet you're still willing to let me be betrothed to him?" Erza had to prevent her voice from wavering, her tears threatening to fall but she did her best not to breakdown in front of her father. If she wept now it would mean she's already lost.

Makarov was at loss of words, he did not want her to think that way. She is still his daughter, and he may have heard stories about Prince Lates' unfaithfulness but there is absolutely no way those rumors told the truth. Laxus sat uncomfortably at Erza's sudden proclamation. He wanted to speak but he couldn't it seemed like his throat grew dry. Erza heard no response from her father, she then decided to continue.

"Why couldn't it be Laxus?"

"King Bob has no daughters."

"Then have him marry a kingdom that has princesses." They continued to banter until Makarov grew tired of it.

"Laxus is going to rule this Kingdom, he has no time to be married off to some princess. He has to train to become a king. Erza, be that as it may, but I have already promised to have you marry Prince Lates."

"And I have time to be married off to some prince? I'm nineteen, immature and young…." She trailed off, her voice growing weak, her tears were flowing freely, and she lost all hope. Her shoulders were slumped and her head bowed down. Whatever she says she knew her father wouldn't listen. She hated it.

"Is it because I'm not of your own blood? Is that the reason why it seems pleasing to you for me to be shipped off to some kingdom? Was it bec-" Erza immediately looked up, her eyes widening with surprise on the things she had just said. She also noticed her father's posture grew rigid, even Laxus was shocked by the declaration. Erza knew she went too far, her father did not want discussing this. The discussion of her being an orphan was a taboo.

"I s-sincerely apologize, Your Majesty. Perhaps you're right. I should be married to Prince Lates." Erza said hurriedly, wanting to dismiss the topic as soon as it permits her. Making her notion of leaving noticeable, she hastily walked in the direction of the door.

"Erza." Makarov called calmly. Erza heard it and stopped her movement. Her back was facing him. She was crying, that's why. She did not want them to see how weak she looks right now. Makarov saw how Erza stopped moving, her labored breathing obvious, he knew she was crying. After a short moment, he continued.

"I'm sorry. I should've thought about how you felt. Do not worry child, I'll cancel the betrothal. I sincerely ask for your apology. It's just that the threat of Alvarez was terrifying, I wanted our forces to be ready sooner. I did not know you felt that way." Makarov hoped that his sentiments reached his daughter.

"I apologize for my outburst as well. And thank you for understanding. But is it really fine to cancel it?" Erza now looking at her father. She was beaming.

"Yes. King Bob and I are good friends. I'm sure it would be fine with him to not have the wedding pushed through." Makarov said approvingly. Erza made her way back to the door but stopped when her father continued speaking.

"Well, could you at least attend the feast when they arrive the Capital? Talk to him for a while." Makarov smiled, he was elated that they have ended the argument peacefully.

"Alright. But if I do not like to be in his presence may I leave?" Erza asked and tilted her head sideways. Her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Do as you please, child." Makarov sighed, it is most probable that Erza would not attend the feast at all. It only makes him wonder why he loves his stubborn children so dearly. Erza clasped her hands together, as if delighted on what has transpired and bowed gracefully.

"Thank you for gracing me of your time, Your Majesty." Erza looked at Laxus with a look which he found irritating. Laxus knew that his sister knew what would happen if she left. He groaned when he saw his sister opening the door. He should've left when Erza told him to do so.

The sound of the door closing was the last thing Laxus and Makarov heard.

"It is best if I left as well." Laxus said cautiously, knowing his father would scold him. He stood up and proceeded to head to the door. He hoped his father forgot about the anger he felt moments ago.

"Where do you think you're going young man? Sit down." Laxus shuddered, his father's voice was booming in his ears. So, as a good boy, he went back to his chair and sat down. Muttering the word he seemingly said repeatedly this morning.

"Shit."

* * *

AN: New story, I know...I haven't been updating the others, which I apologize for. I'll probably update them soon. This idea suddenly came to me after I played a game which involves kingdoms and such, and I thought I just had to write it. Lol... It was fascinating, soooo I hope you like this. Just testing though. If you want updates please tell me in the review section, tell me your comments about this too, like improvements and such. Thanks for reading. R&R :D (P.S. I apologize for the long chapter I had a hard time illustrating the scenarios.)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Masquerades and Uninvited Guests

 _Afternoon, 12th of Bloomingdale Location: West of Ishgal, Kingdom of Caellum, Garden of Pegasus._

* * *

"You're as beautiful as ever Princess Erza!"

 _Cringe._

"It's not like I'm attracted to you or anything, but you're pretty stunning today Princess."

 _Wince._

"Your Perfume is the greatest."

A shiver ran up to Erza's spine as she heard the voice of the person she's been avoiding the whole day. He was one of the reasons why she did not want to attend the ball. It's not like she hated Prince Vandalay, it's just that she gets the creeps whenever he's around. She can feel his presence from miles away and it's not a good thing.

"Now, now…. Let the Princess enjoy the ball without you lot bothering her." Prince Lates said calmly.

"Right. We were just too thrilled to see her. Especially Big brother here." Prince Eve said while pointing at his brother. The said prince was beaming, Vandalay was always an easy person to please, for him as long as he sees Erza, his day is complete. It wasn't reciprocated by the princess, unfortunately.

"Well, I was on my way to my father, the King apparently was requesting my presence." Erza lied easily.

Being ambushed by the four siblings were not as pleasant as other women said it was. It was only annoying her to the point where she actually considered throwing Prince Lates on the table full of food, and probably stuff his mouth with an apple while she's at it. There's just something with the way he has been looking at her, the way his gaze stayed a little too long on her bosom, though she was fully clothed, he made her feel like she was naked. She did not like it. His brothers did not act the same way though. It probably was her fault for wearing a slightly revealing dress.

"Leaving already? That truly is a shame, we were having a good time too." Prince Ren uttered with dismay coating his voice. Erza glanced at him briefly before dismissing him and proceeded to look for a path that would lead her away from here.

 _We weren't._ Erza thought darkly, though she would not say it. Instead, she smiled and calmly agreed to the statement.

"I better move fast, the King isn't very a patient man. Enjoy the feast!" With that she walked away, or easier to say, _tried_ to walk away.

Prince Lates decided it was a good idea to grab Erza's wrist before she got away. He knew the red-headed princess was only acting coy, maybe she was flustered when she talked to him. After all, all women were. He at least tried to force that idea into his brain, he did not want to accept that one woman actually refused him. Especially in marriage, he was upset and unamused when he heard that King Makarov called the wedding off. His father's acceptance of the decision was what frustrated him the most. _No_. It was the thought of the Princess Erza not wanting him was what made him extremely furious. It was just not possible. He was handsome, strong, wise, and _humble_. He just could not understand why the princess did not want him whilst the rest of the female population in Ishgal did.

She was stubborn and absolutely feisty, he hated these attributes of her, which was why he wanted to be the one to make her submit to him. He usually did not dwell around girls like these, because it just wasn't worth the chase sometimes. However, these did not apply to the princess, she was absolutely beautiful, and it would absolutely give him fulfillment when he had his way with her. These type of women were a good _fuck_ anyway, so he didn't mind exerting a little effort.

Erza stared at the hand that grabbed her briefly before glaring at the man who did it. The princess looked around only to find out that his brothers left him alone with her. It was frustrating to say the least. She did not want to be left alone with him, not after how he treated his servant girl like some sort of trash when he shamed her in front of the crowd minutes ago. The poor girl was only too tired, probably overworked, that she dropped a tray of newly cooked turkey on the floor. It was clumsy, sure, but he did not have to berate her in front of everyone. She did not want to hate him that much since she has only met him minutes ago, but people like him who had no compassion, had absolutely no place in her life.

"What is it that you want from me, Prince Lates?" She couldn't hide the disgust and frustration which was laced in her voice, even though, she tried to.

"I want you. I was truly surprised when you called off our marriage. It was saddening." His grip on her wrist grew slack, he didn't want to come off as a perverted man.

"I apologize Prince Lates, but I'm afraid that I'm not too into the idea of marrying anybody yet. And if in time I will be, I would like to marry the person I love."

"Love? You'd grow to love me over time. I do not think this feelings you speak of matter at all and it's not like you aren't hopelessly in love with me right now." Prince Lates took it as a good sign when the princess blushed and gasped. _He knew it. He was right, it's not like he was ever wrong._ He smirked proudly at the thought that Erza was just hopelessly in love with him.

Erza could not believe how a man like him have so much arrogance. _Or was it confidence_. She wasn't quite sure, but either way it irked her. She was red with fury, and could not control a gasp of utter disbelief. She was so sure that her gasp was powerful enough to inhale all the people in the feast. How can he suggest something atrocious like her being in love with him? That was absurd, it was so disgusting that she wanted to vomit rainbows on his face. _Like hell she was?!_

She held his hand with both of hers, and she looked at him. She could see him blush, who wouldn't.

"Prince Lates, the only thing I feel for you is abhorrence and pity. I apologize if you interpreted it as love. I was certain that I was giving off the right signals too." She uttered solemnly.

Erza left him speechless, she smirked at this. Though, she wondered if she had been too cruel to him.

The prince was stunned to eternal silence as he watched her move past him. He swore he heard some people chuckle at the devastating statement of the red-headed princess. His shoulders were slumped, confidence destroyed, with that he sighed. Like he said, _wasn't worth the chase._

* * *

 _Evening, 12th of Bloomingdale Location: West of Ishgal, Kingdom of Caellum, Garden of Pegasus._

* * *

"Meredy. Please tell me why we have to wear these noble clothes again?"

Jellal was absolutely furious when Ultear told him to accompany Meredy to some quest that required his expertise. Ultear even spoke greatly of his skills and him as a person, saying all that ' _She is your apprentice and she could learn a lot from you'_ bullshit, which he found unusual. Alas, he should've known. Ultear knew of his hatred towards balls, feasts, nobles, people, and the like. Anything that requires continuous socializing and fake smiles, he hated it. He didn't have much ' _conversation lines'_ in him. He only talks to people he knows, it's just because it's easier that way. Which was why when the guard asked him who they were. Meredy had to answer with a " _He's mute._ " Which was a lie, unbelievably bought by the guard.

"To hide your sorry existence. I can't believe you froze! If we had been caught, we're as good as a city spectacle by day light!" If looks could kill then Meredy would have already made him a city spectacle with no limbs.

They were criminals, Meredy's hair had a different color, it was as black as night, all thanks to Ultear's sorcery, but if you stare at her long enough, she would be way too familiar and she could easily be brought in for questioning. He could say the same for himself. His tattoo was hard enough to hide but so was his hair. It was no longer blue, it was a little brownish but it inclined more to the blonde side.

"At least Levy's forgery was effective. It absolutely looked like the original invitations." Jellal laughed nervously, hoping that Meredy would shift the topic to something that was lighter.

"Do that again and I'll _burn_ you at the stake myself, Jellyjelly." She sure did shift the topic to something _lighter_.

This was going to be a hard one. Abduction quests was usually something he wasn't very good at. It was only made a hundred times harder because the one they had to abduct was a Princess. He has only seen her once and heard of the name, but as he said it, it was hard, since they are after all attending a _feast_. Which means there wouldn't be that much room for abduction. They would be seen and sentenced to death. This is something he did not want. The feast was extravagant, as expected of Pegasus. These circumstances has proved to be a great burden on him and his ally. He would not be able to locate the princess at this rate. Jellal had another thing going on him, he had another clue, the princess had beautiful scarlet hair which was said to stand out, but he easily crossed that out when he had already encountered five people with red hair on his way in.

"So, what is the plan?" Meredy asked urgently. He was sure that she already noticed their odds.

"I honestly have no idea." Jellal had no plans. He didn't even know where to start.

"Figures. We can't act like we know her and lure her out, she certainly is not dumb. And even if she is, her guards would surely follow her. We wouldn't be able to escape the kingdom if they sounded the alarm."

Jellal sighed, for what seemed to be the umpteenth time of the day he did. "For now, we shall split up and look for Prince Lates or his brothers. If the princess is going to be somewhere it is with them. Nobles stay close together after all."

"Ultear is so going to kill us if we fail."

"We don't plan on failing, Meredy. Take care of yourself. If you've been found out, you know what to do." Jellal said warily.

"Got it. Take care of yourself as well."

Jellal watched Meredy as she tried to blend in to the crowd. Which was not hard since she's a natural in making people think she's friendly and sociable. Maybe it was him who could learn from her. Maybe this was why Ultear asked him to accompany Meredy. He could barely move away from his place, the sight of the crowd made him uncomfortable, he wanted to just scream the princess' name and e over with it. However, as Meredy said, the princess was no fool. He sighed for the last time and proceeded to move in the crowd. It isn't too late to get a few friends, right?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Pretense and Abduction

* * *

 _Evening, 12th of Bloomingdale Location: West of Ishgal, Kingdom of Caellum, Garden of Pegasus._

Erza was tired. Words couldn't describe the exhaustion she's been feeling. Walking towards her destination proved quite a challenge after all. She could not believe that talking to people required a lot of liveliness, a feat she was never good at. All she wanted to do was to retreat to the quarters that was given to her by King Bob, however, people did not seem to share her sentiment. They constantly dragged her around to meet their other friends, then the _other friends_ dragged her to meet some of their _other friends_ , which was a cycle that she did not approve of. Even though she met a lot of people, she was almost certain that she did not remember any names. Well, except for that little girl who seemed to be overly lively, she envied her. How can she be that cheerful in the night? She believes the name of that girl was, _Melody_. _The name sure suits her well._ She cleared her mind of these thoughts and walked faster. Erza couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaper her lips. It was a good thing that nobody required her presence anymore.

"Your Highness!" An overly enthusiastic man approached her with a smile.

Erza rolled her eyes to the point that she thought it was going to bulge out of her sockets. She spoke too soon after all. Erza wore her kindest smile and waved at the person before walking towards the group of people who wanted to talk to her. Jellal saw her and _goddess_ was she beautiful. Those rumors that went around town did not give her much credit. She was wearing a purple dress that had some see through kind of cloth from her elbows to her hands and the same kind of fabric could also be seen covering her knees up to her feet, it was simple sure but she somehow made herself stand out. It was probably the way she brought herself. However, these things aren't supposed to be the ones he should think about. This attribute of hers would be quite troublesome. With her standing out, it would be impossible to just drag her out of the feast. She probably is known by everyone in the garden.

"Psssssst….."

Jellal looked around the area. _What the fuck was making that sound?_ He walked around aimlessly to find it.

"Siegrain! Over here!" Jellal saw Meredy gesturing for him to come near. He found her at the tables, stuffing her face with a bunch of sweets. He wondered if this was the reason why Meredy was so excited about this quest.

Meredy handed him a plate of what seems to be straight up pig food. It was _slimy and brown_? In all honesty, it looked like a glorious bowl of _defeat_. It had floating things on it, which seemed like warning signs to him. It told him not to eat it. "What is it?"

"Uhhh….. I have no idea. But, it tastes good?" Jellal raised his eyebrow questioningly. _Good?_ He doesn't think so.

"Was that a question? Because in all honesty, I don't think it does."

Meredy cut herself another slice of turkey meat. When she was done she looked at Jellal with all seriousness she could muster. Jellal felt uncomfortable all of the sudden.

"My stomach does not feel well. I think I have to…" Meredy looked around cautiously and motioned Jellal to come nearer. Jellal did what he was told and lent his ear to Meredy. She leaned in and whispered. "Shit."

"You mean….." Jellal and Meredy both looked at the plate that he was holding which looked like Meredy's soon to be body waste. Both of them stared at each other for a while, then Meredy nodded affirmatively. Jellal's stomach lurched and he then lost his dinner on the same plate.

Erza finally reached her destination, the _oh so glorious_ palace balcony. From there she could fully view the garden. It was as crowded as she though it was when she was down there. The princess was glad that she was finally away from the crowd, all she wanted was some peace and quiet after all. It was a nice change of scenery when she was in the balcony. Erza could clearly see the decorations that were all over the place, not only that but she also saw all kinds of events unfold, from a gentleman dancing like an idiot to a gentleman vomiting all over his dinner plate. The princess could see his friend consoling him while he proceeded to empty his stomach on the plate. She was amused when that event was gone unnoticed by the people around them. She continued watching up until the moment the man stopped vomiting and his friend walking away from him. Erza fully observed the man, obviously taking interest in him.

The blonde haired gentleman looked around cautiously before placing his plate on the table. She saw him walking away from the banquet, probably to find something to wash his hand and mouth. However, when the man left another man replaced him in his place. He was tall, muscular, and had purple-ish hair and he also looked like he was looking for someone. He also had a purple cape to match his hair. _How stylish._ What he did after though wasn't that stylish. It was safe to say that he took a spoonful of what she called _hell or the plate full of regurgitated dinner,_ in his mouth. _Disgusting._

"How dare her leave me alone!" Jellal muttered furiously as he continued to wash his hands and his mouth from all the vomit he had. He gargled some water and spat it out on the grass. He was using a pitcher of water that he took from the banquet table to do all this. He was utterly devastated when Meredy told him that he probably had to do it alone because of her current state. But, she told him that she had talked to the princess and she thought that the princess seemed friendly enough to easily fool. Jellal thought otherwise.

From this point onwards, Jellal decided to stop fooling around and started getting serious. They had to abduct the princess in order to appease their King, Hades. Ultear had given him a brief description of the King's goal, it was to sacrifice the princess in order to capture the great dragon _Acnologia._ He argued that the sacrifice could be some random person from Ishgal, but she said that the sacrifice must be some one of royalty and it must be a woman. Ultear explained further that it had to be the princess of Minstrel since one of the King's plan was to weaken the kingdoms in the south, in order to conquer it. Without the princess King Makarov would lose his mind and a King with a weak mind and will is an easy prey. Jellal thought it was a strategic idea. Hitting two birds with one stone, the only problem was the stone was hard to take. If he would be unsuccessful in taking Erza all the plans that were made would fail. The weight on his shoulder grew heavier, _He could not afford to fail._

Jellal started surveying the area, he took note of the places that were unguarded and places that had hidden exits. He currently stood in front of what seemed to be a labyrinth that was in the garden. Its walls were made of tall dark green hedges. No one ventured in this area probably because it was dark and it gave off an aura of isolation. The feast could still be viewed from the labyrinth but the noise was distant. Nobody would hear the princess if she screamed for help. Jellal saw a gate that was heavily guarded by the royal knights west of where he was. It was probably at least fifteen to thirty meters away from the labyrinth. He continued venturing the remote area, inspecting every nook and cranny, looking for a secret tunnel that could be used as an exit. To his dismay, he found none. Even if he managed to subdue and silence the princess here he had to sneak past the guards. It was a risk he had to take. Jellal looked at the entrance of the maze and found an old pedestal made of finely crafted marble. He approached it and found something engraved on the pedestal.

 _What is lost may never be found._

It was pretty straightforward, the labyrinth was cursed. He could feel it, he has heard stories of it when he was a kid. He just didn't know where it was located, but now he does. _Who the hell is wise enough to build their Kingdom around a cursed place?!_ That was just plain ridiculous. A myth said that there was once a courageous knight who went inside, but was never able to leave the place. It was only after five years that he was found at the entrance of the labyrinth, alive but he was considered as good as dead. It was said that the labyrinth weakened the will of the person, once inside it showed you the things you fear the most. A weak will begets a vulnerable soul. Whatever creature that was in the labyrinth took the person's soul from its body leaving it empty and useless. The souls that were taken could never be retrieved again even through the use of sorcery. It may be a myth but Jellal believed it, which is why he never dared to venture inside it. Just being in front of the cursed labyrinth was terrifying enough, he couldn't begin to imagine what being inside is like.

"Now all I have to do is to get the princess here." He muttered to himself as he approached the crowded feast once more. Once he was there he observed the people, it seemed like some of them went inside the palace to do something. He followed them until he reached an enormous wooden door. It was guarded by two Pegasus knights. He stood there for a while, watching people come and go. People were not allowed inside if they did not have an invitation, it was a good thing that he has. He approached the doors and he was stopped by the guards.

"Let me see your invitation." A gruff voice said sternly. Jellal handed his invitation to the guard. The guard opened the envelope and he seemed to be inspecting the seal that marked the letter. The knight handed it back to him and shook his head in disapproval.

"You are invited in the feast but not inside the palace, please step away."

 _Oh, so it had different kinds of seals._ Jellal would not just step away so instead he placed his hand on the shoulder of the knight and casted a spell on him.

 _"Lavaris secoria"_

The knight shivered. "But, I am invited inside, right?"

"Yes. Please proceed inside."

"Thank you." Jellal withdrew his hand from the knight's shoulder and proceeded to the half opened door on the side of the other guard on his right. When he was inside, he was dazed. The halls were decorated with blue and silver cloths, the staircase was decorated with that as well. The crest of Pegasus could be seen hanging from the ceiling. It was livelier here. There was music and people dancing. There was a princess too. It seems like his search has finally gone to an end. Jellal fixed the collar of his shirt as he approach the princess.

* * *

 _Evening, 12th of Bloomingdale Location: West of Ishgal, Kingdom of Caellum, Palace Halls of Pegasus._

Erza watched the people dancing, it was the only thing that seemed entertaining as of now. The view in the balcony easily bored her, she just couldn't just stand there viewing the same scenery anymore. When she retreated back to the halls in order to make her way to her bedroom, she found it congested and her path towards her sanctuary was blocked. Which was why she just stood there and watched people as they twirl and laugh with their partners while they were dancing to the music created by the band. She enjoyed just watching them until someone grabbed her hand and pulled her to the area of the dancers.

"What are you doing?" She looked at the person and asked obviously irritated.

"Dancing?"

"I can see that, though I would prefer it if you did it alone." Jellal could feel her the intensity of her glare, it slightly gave him the shivers. But, he shrugged it off and proceeded to argue with her. This was the only thing he could think of at the moment.

"That would be too sad wouldn't it? I would look like a total fool"

"Does it look like I care? And who are you anyway? You can't just dance with people you don't know!" Erza was growing more and more irritated as the moments pass. She knew who this gentleman was, he was the man who vomited all over his dinner plate. If she knew this was going to happen she should've just stayed up in the balcony and bore herself to death rather than relieve her boredom through dancing with the strange man.

"Says who?"

"It is written in the laws." _Couldn't he just find another person to dance with?_ Is what Erza kept repeating to herself.

"Laws of what?"

"Laws of life!"

Jellal laughed at that one. Who knew that the princess of Minstrel would be so hilarious and not princess like? He wanted to get to know her better, however, this would never happen since he was planning on deceiving her. His plan was to act like he did not know the princess and come off as a gentleman looking for love in the night. But he knew it was going to be hard because she was a smart woman, he was certain that she knew that as well.

"So you just dance with people you do know?"

"Yes. And I would like it to stay that way."

"Siegrain." Jellal said suddenly. It was his cover up name, he can't just say he was _Jellal_. He believes the princess knows about him and his fugitive lifestyle.

"Excuse me?" Erza raised her eyebrow questioningly. She wasn't _Siegrain._ _Who the hell was that anyway?_

"Now that we're no longer strangers we can dance, can't we?" _Of course…It was his name. Stupid Erza!_

"We already are and even so I haven't told you my name yet."

"I'm well aware, don't you think it's a little rude?"

"Don't _you_ think this is a little rude?" She referred to the way he just randomly grabbed her hand and suddenly led her to the dance floor. She did not dance. _Damn it!_ Erza was sure the she kept stepping on his foot accidentally, dancing was something she wasn't very good at. She knew it must hurt his foot, but he sure hid it perfectly. It was kind of thoughtful of him if you asked her.

"Fair enough. I shall call you princess then."

"Don't"

"Not unless you tell me your name."

"How cliché, even so don't call me princess, and why in the world would you even call me that?"

"It's just because you look like one." He said like it was the most obvious thing.

"There are a lot of women in this banquet that looks like one."

"That may be true, but none of them is as beautiful as you are. And um… as princess-y as you are….." Jellal coughed at that one. He blew it, didn't he? He wasn't sure if it was alright to stop at beautiful, because she was many things other than that. He really didn't know how to do this. And goddess help him if she stopped dancing and slapped him instead. That would be a humiliation he didn't want.

She was speechless. She was so sure that she was blushing. Erza looked anywhere but his face and wondered if the hall was as hot as she felt it was. This was flirting wasn't it? It wasn't fair, she did not know how to respond to these. And what the hell was she getting flustered for? It was lame, absolutely. She was sure of it. Yet, her heart thundered in her chest, but she would not let him see that he affected her deeply. Oh, how she hated everything right now. Which was why she settled with a ' _That was lame._ ' and ' _This is ridiculous._ ' Before looking away effectively ignoring his smirk. Then proceeded to dance with _Siegrain_ , wishing that the song would end so that he could find a new partner and leave her be. Her heart felt like it was going to burst and her stomach felt like it had rampaging dragons in it. Which usually wasn't a good sign. He had her at the very beginning, she wasn't always like this that is why she did not know what was happening to her. _Rare occasions_ like these are usually the reason why she wanted out.

 _Fuck._ Now, that wasn't very ladylike was it?

"Meet me in front of the labyrinth. I have something to show you."

"Like hell I will! We're still strangers. Remember?" Why was he asking her that like it was the most casual thing? She did not even know him that much yet.

"Oh but I have told you my name, Princess?"

"But, I still haven't told you mine!"

"It's high time that you did."

Erza huffed in disbelief. Did this person know who she was? She was the fucking princess of Minstrel, she did not take orders from anyone.

"Do you not know who I am?!"

"I think we've already established that. I was asking you for your name, wasn't I? If I knew you then I wouldn't have asked. "

This explains why he spoke to her in such a casual manner, no respect or whatsoever. It was different from what she was used to but it definitely wasn't unpleasant. She longed for people to treat her like this, like she wasn't the daughter of the King, like she was human, and not some goddess or anything like that. It kind of made her wonder though. How could he not know her?

"Do you know Princess Erza?"

"Yes. But, I've only heard of her name. I haven't had the chance to see her."

 _Oh, of course. He didn't know how I looked like. That's just perfect!_ Erza thought that maybe it was her time to befriend new people. She wanted to make her own friends, not just those who her father told her to befriend.

"So, would you tell me your name?"

"Erza."

"You're the princess?!"

"No! I just have the same name as her. I mean, just because we have the same name we are the same pers-"

"It's alright. I understand." Jellal held her right hand in his right and lifted it up, he leaned his face towards it and kissed it briefly. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Erza."

"It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Siegrain."

"Now that we are not strangers. Will you meet me in front of the labyrinth?" He hoped she would say yes. He was desperate and it showed. This has gone too long, spell Ultear used did not last that long. He was already using his own magic to hold his form a little longer. The spell wore out the moment he grabbed her to dance.

"Do you plan on entering it?" She could see that he was desperate. _Why?_ She did not know the answer to that. She didn't plan on going to the labyrinth with him though. It was too dangerous, the place was far and no guards were stationed there. It was an isolated place. If _Siefrain_ was some sort of killer, no one would hear her scream. She was going to say no.

"No. I only wanted to find us a quiet place to talk. It's crowded here and it's pretty noisy too. This isn't really a place where I could try and get to know you better." Jellal saw the look in her eyes, he was certain she was going to say no. It was a good thing that he still held her hand in his. It felt like cheating but it had to be done.

" _Traghasti avitheato_ " he whispered, only loud enough to be uttered and not heard by her. When the look in her eyes changed he knew the spell worked perfectly.

 _Shit._ He's bluffing, Erza. Don't be fooled, he may be good looking but that does not mean he's not some murderer. But, Erza found herself saying " _I shall meet you there._ " In a stupidly weak, love struck voice. _What in the world was her problem? Wasn't she going to say no?!_ She found herself asking when Siegrain had left her presence, probably to go to their meeting place. She wondered why she hadn't followed him. Then she remembered, she _lied_ to him. Erza had no intention of having people calling her princess while she was with him, which was why she decided to just tell him that she would follow shortly. If Erza wanted to meet with him, she had to hastily leave this place, unnoticed.

Erza arrived the place earlier than she has expected. It was a good thing that no one had attempted to speak to her when she was on her way here. Siegrain was right, it was quiet here no one would notice them and bother them. It was the best place to gaze upon the stars as well. It kind of made her heart flutter. _NOT!_ _What was happening to her?!_ She was becoming like a fool, it's not like she liked him or anything. It's just for friendship. _Right!_ Friendship and nothing more. Erza was sure that Siegrain went ahead first. If that is so, why wasn't he here? She shrugged it off and paced for a little while. When minutes passed and there was still no sign of Siegrain, she found other things to occupy her. She approached the old pedestal that was constantly in her sight while she was pacing. She approached it and found something other than engravings there. _Was it blood?_ Her hand moved on its own as it touched the red puddle of something on top of the pedestal. It was blood and _it was fresh._ Clearly someone was here before her.

"I apologize for making you wait, Princess."

She spun around to see the person but all she saw was darkness. Her head was in pain and she was so sure that she would faint. And she did.

The feast did not end well that night as minutes had passed and there was still no sign of the princess, the bells in the castle resonated loudly into the night.

* * *

Posted a new chapter...Don't know what the hell's wrong with me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading this! R&R if you wanna. Hopefully, you wanna. I'll start updating my other stories as well (Uhhh next saturday..)...OH and Outbreak. I'll try my best to keep them up to date from now on. Over and out.


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